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Holland America drinks cards


uppitycats
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I just checked the HAL site and see that the $50 non-alcoholic beverage card costs $50. Unless I'm missing something, there's no benefit to pre-purchasing this card...

 

I know it can be used for non-alcoholic beverages ... anyone know if this includes bottled water?

 

Last, is the soda card only for fountain sodas, or is it accepted for cans as well?

 

Thanks.....

Edited by cp556
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I just checked the HAL site and see that the $50 non-alcoholic beverage card costs $50. Unless I'm missing something, there's no benefit to pre-purchasing this card...

You're correct that there's no financial benefit to the $50 beverage card. There is, however, a practical benefit.

If you purchase by the drink, then there will be a small (or large :D) pile of purchase slips to proof out at the end of the cruise. With the beverage card, you just have the one original purchase slip. Sooo much easier.

Each purchase subtracts the correct amount, and leaves a running balance. Just compare the ending figure from the last drink with the starting figure for this drink, and toss the old slip as you go along.

Last, is the soda card only for fountain sodas, or is it accepted for cans as well?

It's cans. Each can costs $1.95 + 15% for a total of $2.24.

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You're correct that there's no financial benefit to the $50 beverage card. There is, however, a practical benefit.

If you purchase by the drink, then there will be a small (or large :D) pile of purchase slips to proof out at the end of the cruise. With the beverage card, you just have the one original purchase slip. Sooo much easier.

Each purchase subtracts the correct amount, and leaves a running balance. Just compare the ending figure from the last drink with the starting figure for this drink, and toss the old slip as you go along.

 

It's cans. Each can costs $1.95 + 15% for a total of $2.24.

 

Thanks, Ruth! The beverage card will also make our onboard statement shorter by a good many items, too. I appreciate your being there....

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So, for a family of 3, can I purchase only one card for all of us to share or do we all need our own cards?

One card at a time works fine. Unless you are all off in different directions and all want a soda at the same time. :D

Once you've paid for the card, you can buy drinks for anyone and everyone. There are no restrictions that way.

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So, for a family of 3, can I purchase only one card for all of us to share or do we all need our own cards?
Once you've paid for the card, you can buy drinks for anyone and everyone. There are no restrictions that way.
Yes and no. On our last cruise DW pre-ordered two cards on her HAL account. When they were delivered to the cabin they both had her name on them, which meant they both had to be activated using her room key-card with her present (found that out the hard way) and IIRC she had to be present each time we used one. Essentially she was buying me drinks each time. I couldn't take one of the cards and go off alone and use it. So - if you're planning on two or more people using a card independently, it's best to buy a card in each person's name. Edited by jtl513
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We bought the $250 card for $225 online. Used it on beer, cocktails and drinks in the bars, wine in the MDR, corkage, and were told we could have even used it on the Mixology class. We used it all up on the next to last day. Convenient and a good deal. :)

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I bought 2 cards, one in my name, one in my husband's name. We often do different stuff at different times on board; didn't want to have to be that closely linked! :) The convenience was enough of an incentive to me...I've had to spend way too much time sorting through "a ton" of receipts on the last day of the cruise to be messing with that again.

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Now that there's no savings on the $50 card and just $5 on the $100 card we won't be buying them any more, since we never drink anywhere near $250 on a cruise.

 

As far as "keeping track of receipts" - I keep a running spread sheet on my netbook computer, entering the day's purchases each night, and putting all drink and shop receipts in one spot with the newest ones on top of the pile. Every 3 days or so I get a preliminary account statement and check it. Worst case on the last day I have to check 3 days worth of purchases and I know where all the receipts are, in reverse order of purchase.

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We bought the $250 card for $225 online. Used it on beer, cocktails and drinks in the bars, wine in the MDR, corkage, and were told we could have even used it on the Mixology class. We used it all up on the next to last day. Convenient and a good deal. :)

 

Thanks for the information that you were able to use the Beverage card for the Mixology class as well.

I didn't know that.

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Thanks for the information that you were able to use the Beverage card for the Mixology class as well.

 

I didn't know that.

 

 

We were told we could use it when we were using it to buy a drink, bartender just volunteered the info, but in the end did we did not. Reason being the folks in charge give a "quantity" discount. Nice little surprise. If you went to all three classes, they charged $10 each class per person as opposed to $12.50 for one class per person. They just took our room number, took roll at teh beginning of class, and if you did come to all three, they charged you after that last class via your cabin #. Had we only done one, we could have just had our drink card charged right there I am assuming. I suppose we might have been able to work it out but in the end it just got put on our on board account which was fine as we used up the card anyway. It was good to know though.

 

Also of note the Mixology class on the Noordam was a real hoot. We had a great time and learned about many of Holland's new and not so new signature cocktail. :):)

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Am I dreaming or did I buy my kids a soda card back in 2004 on the Zaandam and it was for unlimited sodas?

You're not dreaming, but that was two cards ago.

The unlimited card was supposed to be one card per person, but some people were abusing it. They were buying the one card, then letting everyone in the family get soda with that one card. Blew it for everyone.

That unlimited card was replaced by a punch card that got you 20 glasses of soda. No more abuse of the system, but the soda amounted to only a half-can; fountain soda was given if it was something in the spout. If you ordered something that was from a can you could get the leftover from a previous purchase. It could be flat by then.

 

And that brings us to the current card. You pay $25 and can purchase $50 worth of cans of soda. If you don't spend it all, there is a return of the balance of the purchase price that you have not spent. But it's an upfront load. The first $25 worth of soda is full price; the remaining $25 worth of soda is free.

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You're not dreaming, but that was two cards ago.

The unlimited card was supposed to be one card per person, but some people were abusing it. They were buying the one card, then letting everyone in the family get soda with that one card. Blew it for everyone.

That unlimited card was replaced by a punch card that got you 20 glasses of soda. No more abuse of the system, but the soda amounted to only a half-can; fountain soda was given if it was something in the spout. If you ordered something that was from a can you could get the leftover from a previous purchase. It could be flat by then.

 

And that brings us to the current card. You pay $25 and can purchase $50 worth of cans of soda. If you don't spend it all, there is a return of the balance of the purchase price that you have not spent. But it's an upfront load. The first $25 worth of soda is full price; the remaining $25 worth of soda is free.

Thanks Ruth...It's a shame people cheat. I brought my 3 kids on that cruise and told them, they better like lemonade and surprised them in their Easter baskets on the ship with their own soda cards(they were thrilled) I plan on going on a cruise this coming September with just my wife on the Nieuw Amsterdam , so I guess I will get the $50 card...when that runs out, I guess I have no other choice but to drink beer ;)

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One card at a time works fine. Unless you are all off in different directions and all want a soda at the same time. :D

Once you've paid for the card, you can buy drinks for anyone and everyone. There are no restrictions that way.

 

Thanks for the info.

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You're not dreaming, but that was two cards ago.

The unlimited card was supposed to be one card per person, but some people were abusing it. They were buying the one card, then letting everyone in the family get soda with that one card. Blew it for everyone.

That unlimited card was replaced by a punch card that got you 20 glasses of soda. No more abuse of the system, but the soda amounted to only a half-can; fountain soda was given if it was something in the spout. If you ordered something that was from a can you could get the leftover from a previous purchase. It could be flat by then.

 

And that brings us to the current card. You pay $25 and can purchase $50 worth of cans of soda. If you don't spend it all, there is a return of the balance of the purchase price that you have not spent. But it's an upfront load. The first $25 worth of soda is full price; the remaining $25 worth of soda is free.

 

How many cans of soda does that include? So it take it from what you have also said that it is not a full can of soda?

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How many cans of soda does that include?

A can of soda costs $1.95 + 15% service charge for a total of $2.24. The soda card gets you 22 cans of soda, with a little change left over toward another can. You can pay the remainder on you ship card.

So it take it from what you have also said that it is not a full can of soda?

No, I thought I clearly said the new soda card is cans. It was the previous punch card that was fountain soda, or sometimes the remainder of a can.

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  • 3 years later...
We pre-cruise purchased a card for our Oosterdam cruise last April.

 

It was very convenient to have.

 

Also, any dollar amount left on the card at the end of the cruise is credited back to your room.

 

One more thing too... you can't use you card if you are doing a special like "buy one drink, get the second one for a dollar". The card will charge full price for 2 drinks, so you have to charge those kind of deals to your room.

 

and... if you buy the card pre-cruise, it doesn't count towards your cruise day credits.

 

Hope this info helps!:)

 

AC

 

What are cruise day credits?? Any idea about what a mixed drink cost when purchased on board?

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On the HAL website (cruise activities beverages), I see the following:

A Soda Fountain Beverage Card which give you $50 for a cost of $25.

A non-alcoholic Beverage Card that gives you $50 for a cost of $50.

A Beverage Card which gives you alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks of $50 for a cost of $50.

 

I do not see a $100 card or a $250 card or any card other than the Soda Fountain card which gives you a discount.

 

What am I missing?

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When someone does do diligence & searches the boards for information & subsequently makes a comment/asks a question on that old post, it is brought to the top of the message cue, where more people will see it & make comments/ask questions.

 

That is why I checked it out - I was curious about the possibility of a drinks card.

 

Sad but true & the number one reason why I just ask even if the topic has been hashed over previously. (The data changes!)

 

From what I have read here there is a "new" drink package on HAL. (The last time I sailed on HAL they had the drink cards.)

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